When Personalities Collide
by conversingraven
Summary: Percy is returning after a year away from home with his best friend Dakota and his girlfriend Kayla. Charlie is home on medical-leave and falls head over heels for Dakota after she and Kayla spend a few days at the Burrow. Will Dakota feel the same way? Will Percy be okay with his best friend and his brother dating if she does? I'm bad at summaries sorry! Charlie/OC & Percy/OC
1. Chapter 1 - Percy's POV

"Mom, cut it out!" Percy pushed his mother's hand away from his tie for the fifteenth time. "I look just fine. Stop smothering me."

"I'm just so proud of you," Molly beamed at her son as if he were the most precious thing in the world. "Winning an award after only a year away! And now you're back here with us, and I'm just so proud of you Percy!"

Percy scowled at the shit-eating grins that his two older brothers had on their faces. The two of them were only happy because for one Bill wasn't being constantly bothered about his future child -Fleur was only weeks away from giving birth- and Charlie wasn't being bothered about how he can't spend the rest of his life with a dragon.

"I still can't wait to meet his girlfriend we've heard next to nothing about," George sat at the table across from Bill and winked, "and if she's the reason you've been so sassy lately."

Sassy? George was such an ass.

"Oh! I'm just so excited to meet her and your little friends! Kelly, you said her name was deary?" Molly tried to fix his tie again, but Percy pushed past her and sat at the table.

"Kayla," Percy said and grabbed a piece of bacon off of the plate in the center of the table.

He didn't bother mentioning that he knew about his sibling's little bet about the reason he'd kept it from them the past few weeks was because she looked like a dog. Even their friends were in on it. What they didn't know, is that the reason was quite the opposite. Kayla was quite possibly the most beautiful woman Percy had ever met.

And she'd chosen to date him, of all the people that had been working with them the past year. They'd only been together three weeks, but it had been three bloody-good weeks.

Of course, Dakota had a lot to do with pushing the two of them together, considering she'd been friends with Kayla since they were at Ilvermorny. And, she would never let him forget it, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that someone like Kayla could ever be interested in someone like him.

And now she had to suffer through meeting his crazy family and overbearing mother. This was going to be an interesting night. He knew Dakota and his other friends could handle them fine, but he wasn't sure about Kayla.

Kayla was amazing but soft. Though Percy hadn't known much before meeting Dakota, he knew that she had gone to Ilvermorny together.

"I still don't believe it, to be honest," Bill said quietly enough, so their mother didn't hear.

"I do," Charlie shrugged. "He kept Penelope from us too, remember?"

Percy's brothers continued to talk as if he wasn't sitting at the same table with him as if he didn't have ears and could hear their relentless teasing.

"What of your friends then?" George drawled. "If you've got a girlfriend, surely you've got friends. What's that one you always mention, Dakota? What's he like then?"

Percy didn't bother correcting him and pointing out that Dakota was a girl, and that she was his best friend, and had been the past year. In fact, he had few friends that were males. They'd figure it out soon enough.

"Oh, enough of that," Molly said to them. "Percy, you need to get going soon, you said that you needed to be there early?"

"Yes mother," Percy stood and kissed her on the cheek before making his way toward the chimney. She tried to stop him and baby him more, but he was able to get away.

"We don't get kissy-wissy's too Perc?" George yelled after him.

Percy turned in the chimney and shot his brothers a glare, all of which were making kissy faces at him.

This was going to be a long, long day.

..

..

Percy sighed when he entered the large room. It was beautiful, the ceiling almost as beautiful as Hogwart's dining hall. It was decorated in starry-light, and dimming lights made him nervous. He was supposed to give a speech after accepting his award. But he couldn't think about that right now because he'd promised to help set up. He was only one of many getting an award, and he'd promised weeks ago to help.

..

..

..

"And now, I am proud to give this next award to a man who has been working for me in North America, spear-heading the investigations into the murders and disappearances of many magical creatures in Northern Canada. Percy Ignatius Weasley."

Percy stood and ignored the claps and gazes from the crowd, especially the whistles and loud yells from his friend's table across the room. He was nervous as it was, he didn't need to see anyone's face if they showed any sort of disappointment or doubt.

Once he arrived at the podium, his boss grasped him on the shoulder and beamed at him proudly, earning him a nervous grin.

"Percy, we have you to thank for everything we've accomplished this past year, but I also have you to thank for bringing a seemingly impossible team together to do so. A year ago," Mr. Jackson looked out to the crowd with a charming smile, his hand still on Percy's shoulder. "I would have never guessed that the rowdy table in the back there," he motioned toward his friend's table and they cheered and whistled loudly once again. "Would ever be the strong group of individuals who would make such a difference, and according to them, it's all because of you."

Percy barely listened as his boss continued his introduction speech. He had made the mistake of catching Kayla's eye, who had cheered almost as much as Dakota had from their table. She looked mesmerizing, and it made him want to vomit. Then his gaze had glided over to his family's table. Seeing his mother with a box of tissues, and the smiles and proud looks on his sibling's faces was enough to send any man to tears.

He was so grateful for them. Thankful for their forgiveness, most of all. He'd been terrible to them once upon a time, though he'd still loved them, he'd never shown it. And when Fred had died, no one let him blame himself for it. That had been a year and a half ago, and his family was stronger than ever, and he was a part of it.

The loud cheers and clapping snapped Percy out of his trance, his boss handed him the framed document, and he barely heard him as he announced that they were promoting him as well. A promotion? He hadn't known about that. He barely heard him as he announced him once again and stepped to the side, allowing for Percy to take his place at the podium for a speech.

Percy stared across the crowd, forgetting the words he'd planned to say. He'd written a simple speech, thanking his friends and family, but somehow that didn't seem like enough.

"C'mon Perc!"

Percy's eyes snapped back to his friend's table but moved behind it. Dakota was standing up in the back of the room urging him to start. He'd been standing there for far too long not to start.

"I-," Percy gulped and looked to his family's table, smiling when he saw George put his hand out to Bill, knowing they'd made a bet that he would stumble. Those jerks knew him too well.

"I had prepared speech, simple, to the point, you know, how award-speeches are supposed to be. But after my best friend Dakota read it, she told me that it was so boring she'd have to stand up the entire time to prevent herself from falling asleep," Percy said and scrunched his eyes. "And now that I see her standing back there with an obscenely large drink in her hand, I know she wasn't joking."

A round of laughter erupted throughout the room, making him grin. Heads turned toward the back of the room where Dakota was standing only a few feet from Kayla's chair.

"So, I've decided that maybe she was right. So, I'd like to tell you about a book of mine. And this book, well this book is one of my most valued possessions. I actually shrink it down to the size of a pack of gum and bring it everywhere with me." Percy reached into his pocket and pulled it out, placing it on the podium in front of him. After clearing his throat, he continued.

"You see, this book represents everything I have ever loved, particularly, my family, and my mother. My mother, God bless her, is overbearing and, well, smothering at times, but she's probably the best mother in the entire world. And I know everyone says that, but seriously mine is the best." More chuckles broke out as he pulled his wand out. "In all honesty, my mother is the main reason I'm standing here today."

Percy waved his wand above the brown-leather book, and it returned to its normal size. The book was tattered and old, pages were half-falling out, and letters had been taped to the inside so that it was so bulky it was amazing the entire thing hadn't combusted yet.

"A few years ago, I almost gave up on myself. I uh, I made a few mistakes that I thought I would never be able to fix. I wasn't a very nice person for a few years there, and I even went months without talking to any member of my family. I treated them poorly, and I never thought they'd forgive me. During that time, I was pretty lonely, but I had this book, and it was the only thing I had connecting me to them."

He forced the tears in as he stared at the book, flipping over to the very first page.

"In this book is every single letter, every card, every piece of paper every member of my family has sent me since I was eleven years old, starting with the letter I received my first day at Hogwarts." He looked back to his family and saw that every person at the table, and the one next to it that held his youngest siblings and their friends, was at their full attention.

That letter, might I add," Percy looked over the crowd with a grin, "is nine pages long. Nine, pages, and I'd only been away from my mother for a day."

The crowd laughed again, and he continued.

"It has everything I ever received during my time at school, in the summers, and most importantly, it has every letter my mother sent me when I worked at the ministry. Because even when I said terrible things, did, terrible things, my mother still wrote me. Every Sunday at ten in the morning, my family's owl would appear on my stoop and drop a letter that held details of whatever member of my family was up to. And every letter would end with her telling me she'd always love me, and she'd never give up on me."

Percy felt the air leave the room.

"This book is the reason that I accepted this position with the International Confederation of Wizard's Magical Creature's office. Because in doing so, I have been able to make choices that aim to better the entire wizarding world. Every time I make a decision, every time I question if the choice I am making is ethical, who it will benefit, I think back to these letters. To the mother who has never given up on me, to the family that never stopped writing, never stopped caring, no matter what I did to them. I think back to all of the times my older brothers talked me through the many tests I thought I'd fail, the letters of advice on my love life from my baby-sister, and even the exploding glitter bomb that my three younger brothers sent me on my last day at Hogwarts."

Percy shut the book and looked out at the crowd.

"This award doesn't represent just my accomplishments. It represents every word of advice and encouragement my family, my friends, my co-workers, my team, have ever given me. It represents the sleepless nights that so many people have spent the last year fixing the problems with magical creatures that North America has had in the past few years. So, thank you. To all of you. This award is for you."

Percy grinned nervously as the crowd cheered, whistles coming from the back of the room again. He left the stage with his boss clasping his shoulder tightly again and talking in his ear, as was one of his co-workers. He barely heard what they were saying though, because his eyes were still at the back of the room, on Kayla, who he hadn't gotten a chance to see yet because he'd been so busy helping get things set up. And boy did she look beautiful in her navy-blue dress.

He had an assigned seat with all of the others at the tables in the front of the room, he wanted to sit with her, but the table was full. Even Dakota's seat had been taken by Jeremy's girlfriend.

So, he walked back to her table and kissed her on the cheek, taking note of her red cheeks and empty wine glass, then made his way to stand Dakota.

Dakota was dressed in a long black dressed that curved around her figure perfectly. He knew it was strapless because she'd made Kayla look at it before buying and he'd just happened to have been there, but the black leather jacket she wore with it covered the tattoo she had sprawled across her shoulders.

When he arrived, she told the man standing next to her to beat it so that he could stand with her. The man looked annoyed but moved. Percy couldn't blame him for being annoyed, though Dakota was his best friend, even he had to admit that she was drop-dead gorgeous. With her wavy blonde hair and bright green eyes, tall, athletic figure and a smile that could kill, it was hard not to admit.

Though Kayla was much prettier in his opinion, the exact opposite in terms of looks, and about a foot shorter than the both of them, she was just as gorgeous. Percy knew he was a lucky man.

After giving Dakota a half hug and a grin he turned toward the stage and leaned down to whisper to her. "Was it boring?"

"Cheesy motherfucker," she said under her breath. Her arms were folded across her chest as she spoke, one hand lifted to cover her mouth. He noticed she had a tissue in it.

"Bloody hell, did you cry?" he teased. "You never cry."

The two of them clapped their hands as another person was introduced on stage, this time from another department, but he hadn't heard which.

"No, but your mother sure as hell is," she nodded toward his family's table, who was sparing glances back to them. "Why the hell is the one with the green tie giving me two thumbs up?"

Percy narrowed his eyes. George was grinning ear to ear as he held his hands up, and Charlie was leaning talking to him with a matching smile. His mother was still dabbing her eyes with a tissue, and his father's hand was on her shoulder reassuringly.

Wonderful. His mother was in tears, his brothers as annoying as always, best friend sassier than ever, and girlfriend drunk. All that craziness and he couldn't stop smiling.

"Please tell me they don't think that I'm your girlfriend?" she whispered to him, this time louder than before.

That thought had not occurred to him, but given that they couldn't see his girlfriend's table from their angle, it could be likely. Which was both hysterical and annoying.

"Honey, no one believes that someone as gorgeous as you would waste your time with the likes of him," a tall man with chestnut brown hair drawled from a few feet away. "Or any Weasley for that matter. A pretty-little thing likes you deserves to be touched by a worthy man."

Oh no. Dakota didn't do well with comments like that about her friends. Or about her.

Percy put his hand on her arm and leaned down again, so he was whispering right in her ear, "don't waste your time."

Dakota shoved him off and turned to the man with folded arms and a popped hip. The smirk on her face made Percy look away. He knew that look. That was the cunning look. The look that a Horned Serpent got when they were about to strike someone with wits.

"Really? Because I'd fuck any one of them before I'd fuck you, sweetheart," Dakota said in a mock-seductive voice. "Even his sister."

Nevermind. That was not the look they got when they were going to be witty, it was the one they got when they were going to be perverse. Wonderful.

"Gross," Percy said and shook his head. The man stared at his best friend with wide eyes.

"Get lost, before I show you what we do in America to assholes who like to sexually harass girls who are doing nothing but standing," Dakota waved him off and turned back to Percy with a scowl.

"How much fire-whiskey have you had tonight Kota?" he asked with a grin.

"Enough not to put up with that bullshit," she responded. Another round of cheers broke out as the last award was announced.

Percy couldn't believe how quickly the night had gone by so far. The event was to continue with drinks, and he was expected to stay and mingle, but he was already exhausted. And he knew that his speech was going to earn him the never-ending spiel about how great her sons were.

The two of them walked to Kayla's chair, weaving around the crowd that had begun to stand. She stood and gave him a hug, then started whispering nervously in his ear about meeting his parents and how beautiful his speech was.

"Stop," he pecked her on the lips and pulled back. "Stop rambling. They're going to love you, Kayla. And have I told you that you look phenomenal tonight?" he kissed her again. "Because of really baby, you do. But just out of curiousity, how many glasses of wine have you had?"

"Oh," Kayla said quietly. "Only a few."

Dakota snorted behind her, "yeah and I've only had a FEW glasses of fire-whiskey."

"Oh wonderful, you're both drunk," Percy nodded. At least they were enjoying themselves. Maybe he needed a drink too.

"I'm not drunk," the two girls said at the same time, giggling right after.

"Just buzzed," Kayla added.

"And high perhaps?" Percy leaned down and looked into Kayla's eyes.

"No! Never!" Kayla exclaimed.

"She was nervous," Dakota confirmed.

Percy's head snapped in her direction; Kayla knew how he felt about that, and it wasn't good.

"Don't look at me," Dakota said defensively. "I picked her up from Marabella's room, and she was just like that. Better that than, well." She shrugged, suggesting that Kayla had been on the verge of a panic attack.

Percy sighed and gave Kayla another hug, whispering in her ear again that his parents were going to love her.

When he pulled back again, he saw that Dakota was picking at her black nails. They started walking toward his family's table, and Kayla was walking beside him nervously. He told her to relax again and put his arm around her.

Once they got to the Percy turned toward his mother, who pulled him down into a bear hug and started sobbing in his ear.

After he calmed his mother and introduced both of his parents to Kayla, he turned to Dakota to introduce her but found that a man had interrupted her.

The man tried to introduce himself as she took her coat off, his eyes skimming over her bare shoulder as she placed it on the back of one of the chairs, but she gave him a "no-thank you" along with an annoyed look and turned away.

"Stop doing that, or you'll be single forever," Percy teased and took a sip from his sister's water-glass.

"Stop saying that to her, or you'll be single forever," Kayla said with a nervous smile.

Dakota smirked and turned toward her friend with a wink.

"Mom, dad," Percy waved his hand to Dakota as he handed her the water-glass, earning an annoyed look from Ginny. "This is my best friend Dakota. Dakota, these are my parents, Molly and Arthur."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Dakota said, her voice like honey as she shook their hands.

"So, this is the girlfriend?" George said as he pushed through his family and put his arm around Dakota with a grin. "Gotta say, she isn't really your type, is she? She's more Charlies type, don'tcha thing Char?"

Charlie pushed up from beside him and stopped when he saw Dakota, his eyes widening for a moment as he looked her up and down, his gaze stopping momentarily on his way back up on her shoulder. His eyes narrowed curiously for a second, then he shook his head and cleared his throat.

Before Charlie could speak, Dakota pushed George off her shoulder and motioned toward Kayla.

"That's the girlfriend, who is most-definitely his type," she smirked mischievously. "I would know; I'm a distant relative of cupid, so my matchmaking skills are phenomenal."

Charlie stood straight with his arms folded as he observed her, and Percy could tell instantly that his older brother was thinking that George was right; Dakota was definitely Charlie's type.

"Cupid? Are you really?" Ron walked up behind Percy and stopped, his eyes widening and mouth falling open the same way it did every time he'd see Fleur, and lately Hermione.

George grinned when Percy pushed him away. Kayla giggled when Harry tapped Ron on the back of the head. He was amazed that she was doing so well, crowds like this usually overwhelmed her. And he knew she'd only be able to handle her family to a certain extent.

No, you idiot," Percy said.

"But she is related to Newt Scamander," Kayla chimed in quietly- though, she was always soft-spoken. "Well, actually Tina Scamander. Cousins, on her muggle side. I think?"

Percy watched as Charlie raised an eyebrow. Newt Scamander had been among one of Charlie's heroes growing up.

"If we're done talking about me," Dakota said and turned around to look over the crowd. "I need another drink. And I need to talk to Theodore about us staying at his house tonight."

"Us?" Percy pondered, his voice sharp.

"She means me," Kayla told him. "Doesn't want to go back to Diagon Alley; she thinks it's bad luck to travel by Floo past midnight."

"It is bad luck," Dakota said, her eyes brightening when she found Theodore in the crowd.

"You know, Kota, you are probably the smartest person I've ever met, and the most superstitious. Generally, they both don't go hand in hand." Percy told her, then turned to his girlfriend. "Also, I don't like Theodore, neither of you is staying there."

"Why? He doesn't want to sleep with me, he wants to sleep with her!" Kayla protested.

Dakota turned and shot her a mock glare, ignoring George's chuckle as he propped himself up by putting an elbow on her shoulder. Percy expected her to shove him off, but surprisingly she allowed it.

"We'll get back to how you know that, later," Percy told Kayla. "And that doesn't help your case in the slightest. If anything, it makes things worse because that would just end in her beating the living crap out of the poor guy when he made the wrong move. Let me ask mom if you can stay with us. There's plenty of room for you to stay the weekend."

Dakota scowled at him and pulled away from George, grabbing the chair away from the table, turning it so she could lean on it as they spoke.

In the process, Percy knew that George, Ron, Harry, and most importantly Charlie, had all gotten a good look at her tattoo. All of them reacted with curiosity, as most people did, but the look on Charlie's face was the most curious. Charlie pulled back quickly when she turned back around, making Percy realize that he'd been leaning in to get a better look.

"Your tattoo is, a dragon?"

Percy turned to see that it was Harry who had spoken first. He thought back to the Triwizard Tournament.

"It's not a dragon," Dakota's voice was soft, though she looked excited to explain herself, she scowled when she heard Charlie's condescending tone.

"It's not a dragon," Charlie said at the same time with a raised an eyebrow.

"They're similar to dragons. It's a horned serpent," Dakota ignored Charlie and looked back to Harry. "The smartest magical creature known to mankind."

Charlie snorted, "No they aren't."

"Excuse me?" Dakota snapped her gaze back to him, her bright green eyes shining.

Percy ran his hand through his hair. He had been hoping to avoid this topic for the evening. Once Dakota got going, there was no stopping her. She could talk about Horned Serpents and any other XXXXX-categorized creatures for hours on end, including dragons, which Charlie never shut up about. After a year working with the Department of Magical Creatures, he was over it. The problem was, however, that Dakota took comments about some creatures, specifically horned serpents, much more personally than others.

"They are impossible to train or domesticate," Charlie explained knowingly. "And they are believed to be extinct."

"Are you joking me? Millions have said the same thing about dragons, yet there are now three fully-functioning sanctuaries throughout the world, all with trained dragons that were _believed_ to be extinct less than a hundred years ago!" Dakota countered. "Horned serpents aren't extinct."

"Oh really? Please, tell me more about dragons. It's not like I have a career as a dragon tamer or anything." Charlie leaned forward and glared into her eyes. His jaw was popped, but Percy could tell he was enjoying himself. He wondered if anyone else there could tell; Dakota sure didn't know him well enough to.

"Dragon tamer?" Dakota pulled back, the scowl disappearing as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why didn't you tell me your brother was a dragon tamer?" She asked Percy. "Which one are you, again?"

"Charlie," Percy answered for him. "He works in Romania with Bethany. And because I knew you wouldn't shut up about it once you found out."

Kayla giggled beside him, so he put his arm around her with a sigh, exhaustion hitting him full force.

"Charlie? I thought he was supposed to be the hot one?" Dakota countered and tilted her head. The mischievous smirk had appeared on her face again.

"Excuse me?" Charlie leaned his head forward again, his eyebrows scrunched.

"I never said anything of the sort," Percy exclaimed.

"I know, but your reaction is hilarious," Dakota countered and sauntered off.

Percy couldn't help but watch Charlie as he stared after her. Maybe inviting the two of them to stay for the weekend had been a bad idea.

..

..

An hour later and Percy was waiting by the portkey while his father wrangled up their crazy family.

"The only reason I'm not arguing right now is that your exhausted and I'm nearly drunk," Dakota pointed a finger at him. Her leather jacket was thrown over one shoulder, and she had her jet-black-heels in one hand.

"And don't tell me what to do. Did you even hear them tell you about your promotion? Working for the Department of Magical _Transportation_ now. You aren't even my boss anymore. Also, what department have you not worked in?" Dakota leaned toward him and put her hands on her hip. "And, Kayla's upset because you've been paying more attention to me than her the past few days. Leave me alone and address that."

"Oh, bloody hell," Percy said; he would never understand woman.

"You know, I'll never understand the whole 'bloody hell thing,' Dakota looked off to nowhere. "It's so much more entertaining to say; 'goddammit,' or 'for fuck's sake,' or-," Percy cut her off.

"My mother can hear you," he hissed at her.

She stuck her tongue at him.

"So?" Dakota said, her voice genuinely questioning his statement. "My other topic choice is your hot-ass brother, you sure you want her to overhear what I've got to say about that because I doubt it?"

"Stop talking," he hissed. "This is exactly why you aren't allowed to have fire-whiskey, you know," Percy told her, looking behind her shoulder to see that Kayla was walking toward them with Ginny. It made him smile to see that they were both laughing.

"Oh bullshit, no one can hear me, you're just paranoid," Dakota folded her arms again and turned toward the portkey.

"Oh yeah? Because my 'hot-ass brother," Percy whispered and held his hands up, making quotation marks with his hands, "is standing only a few feet away from you with a shit-eating grin on his face that says otherwise."

Percy laughed when Dakota stood straight and cleared her throat, face turning red.

"There you are!" Kayla chirped and all but jumped into Percy's arms. He kissed her on the cheek and lead her toward the portkey.

"She's the one that needs to be cut off," Dakota said bitterly, her voice quiet so only the three of them could hear. Or at least she probably thought only the three of them could hear. "Three glasses of firewhiskey and I'm being judged, three bottles of wine and whatever the hell else she did, and it's no big deal? This is discrimination."

Three bottles? Kayla was far too small to hold that much alcohol. How did these two do it? Was it an American thing?

"Nope," Percy explained and shook his head. "She's cut off too. Both of you are going to be sober for the rest of the weekend."

"Boo," the two of them teased and put their hand on the portkey, a long stick that his father had called a hockey-stick.

Percy sighed and placed his hand on it as well, smiling as the rest of his family did as well. His mother had told him that both Ginny and Harry and Bill and Fleur had another portkey back to their house, but that they were coming over tomorrow.

This was going to be an interesting weekend.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie's POV

The entire family would be awaking soon, and their friends would be arriving shortly. Molly and Arthur were just in the other room, so the boys were all speaking in hushed voices.

As half of the Weasley children and their friends ate breakfast together, Charlie watched and grinned between sips of his coffee. Moments like this were the only thing that had kept him going through his injury. Spending time with his family was something that never got old, especially since his mother's mourning period for Fred had finally gotten to a place of remembrance, rather than tears. It had helped that George and Lee spoke of him more often than not, speaking both of their memories of him and including the way he would have put his input into everything that they did with the business.

"I can't even believe that mom let them sleep in their own room together!" Bill said between bites. "She refused to let Fleur and I stay in a room together until only few months before we got married; it was absurd. And does she let you and Hermione share? No." He nodded to Ron.

"That's only because Ron has to share with Harry though so that Ginny rooms with Hermione when she is here," George said, mock-glaring at Harry as he spoke. The other boys laughed, and Harry looked at the table, his ears red.

"Will she be here?" Bill stopped eating as asked.

Harry nodded and told them that Ginny would be there soon, as she had a last-minute practice and would be running late. Charlie adored Ginny for taking the path that he decided to avoid, having been asked to try-out for the Scottish National Quidditch team. But he sure as hell didn't regret his decision, and every day away from his dragons he missed them more and more.

"I think it's just because he's been acting so different lately," George explained. "He's been, oh I don't know, what's the opposite of having a stick up your ass?"

"Probably because he's getting laid," Lee chimed in. Since he and Ron had been working at the shop for George, they spent most of their time together. "And all his friends are smoking hot girls for some reason."

"Seriously," Ron pipped up, his eyes wide. Harry elbowed him in the side. Charlie hid his smirk behind his coffee, knowing that Hermione never cared much when Ron's eyes led astray because he was so smitten with her otherwise, much like Bill was with Fleur.

"How long did he even say they'd been together? A few weeks, right?" Bill said.

Ron spoke through a mouthful of food, "yeah, that is what he told mum, though who knows if that is true."

Charlie rolled his eyes. Of course, the topic quickly turned back to Percy, the reason that they were gathering the entire family at the Burrow without a holiday to celebrate. The problem Charlie was having with that, however, is it was just Percy and his girlfriend, Kayla, they had been talking about, when he wanted to talk about Dakota.

Well, no, he didn't want to talk ABOUT her, he wanted to walk into the living area and talk TO her. Because he hadn't stopped thinking about her since the night before, and he felt drawn to her like he was drawn to his dragons. Thinking of her made him feel the burning sensation he felt through his skin that generally led him face-to-face to the very creatures he'd devoted his life to studying, and he needed to know why. Was it the tattoo, or was it her?


	3. Chapter 3

Dakota's POV

The second she opened her eyes, Dakota remembered instantly that her friend was going to be feeling it if she didn't take a hangover potion. At the ripe age of twenty-one, the two of them almost never got hungover, but Kayla had a lot more than she should have. Good thing Percy could take care of the poor girl, because the last thing she wanted to do was take care of Kayla; nothing was worse than a whiney, entitled, know-it-all when they were sick.

Dakota sat up and shook her head, knowing she shouldn't be seeing her friend like that. Kayla wasn't as she had been when they attended school. And she'd spent the past year trying her best to understand that Kayla's actions and the way she treated others was only because of how she was raised; it wasn't personal, she was just cured with the "rich-bitch" syndrome because of her parents.

Plus, Kayla had agreed to give up an entire year of their current work in Canada to help with Dakota's dream of spearheading and creating a division within the International Confederation of Magical Creatures, specializing in extinct species. That was a lot to commit to, considering Dakota had fought every step of the way to gain approval to start her research project, and when they'd first been put on Percy's team none of them had even been able to work together without his intervention.

The only problem; they had to have two M.O.M - XXXXX specialized trainers just to start an organized research project, which Dakota had been spending years trying to assemble. She didn't understand why it was so complicated, especially considering Dakota was fronting the costs for the entire start-up of the project. Someday, she would be a specialized trainer, and she wouldn't have to deal with this crap. But until then…

With a sigh, Dakota pushed herself up and made her way toward the voices in the kitchen, grabbing the small, shrunken tote from the pocket of her jacket and slipping her sleek-black wand into the pocket of her sweatpants.

After a shower, of course, she needed to send a letter to her brother Antonio, and his best friend (and her ex-boyfriend), Quin, letting them know she was staying with Percy for a few days. Lord only knew what they would do if she didn't go more than three days without communicating with them. It drove her mad; you think they'd be busy considering both of them were back-ups – Antonio second for a beater position and Quint third for a keeper - for the North American Quidditch team, but no, they still had time to keep tabs on her constantly.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she regretted not waiting for Percy to come to her instantly. Every head at the table turned in her direction, and two of the boys had grins on their face just as they had the night before.

"Good morning!" the one she remembered as George sang cheerfully.

Dakota folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, smiling thinly at him as she muttered a quiet "morning," to him.

"How are you feeling then?" Bill motioned to an empty seat across from Charlie. "Sit, sit, we're casual here. Now, from what I remember, you had quite the celebration last night. In need of a hangover-potion?"

Dakota shook her head. "No, I don't. I can handle myself well enough." She added a thin smile to it in an attempt not to sound ungrateful. She wasn't; she just needed coffee. "Thank you, though. I don't suppose Percy and Kayla are up yet?" Dakota asked no one in particular. She tried her best to ignore Charlie's intense gaze on her shoulders as she sat down and made a mental note to wear a sweater over her tank-top later on.

"Nope," George answered her with a grin. "We can go wake them up if you'd like. Though, I'm quite sure I heard them locking his door before the room went mysteriously silent last night, so we probably won't get very far."

Dakota chuckled to herself knowingly and raised an eyebrow. Kayla was sort of, well, a prude. She'd made it abundantly clear that her and Percy wouldn't be taking any big steps any-time soon. Though she knew that Percy didn't seem to have a problem with it, Dakota had to wonder why he'd put a silencing charm on his door.

"So, they aren't 'not THAT serious' then, like he said?" Ron chimed in, earning a shove from his friend Harry.

"Ah," Dakota nodded. "If you're going to ask me things like that I'll need some coffee."

Before she knew it a cup of black coffee was sitting in front of her and the room full of boys was staring at her curiously.

"So?" Ron pondered again. "Are they serious?"

Harry shoved him again.

"What? I know you're curious too!" Ron exclaimed. "Percy's been so weird; it's got to be her."

Dakota smiled as the others waited for her to answer. "If you want to know anything, you'll have to ask him. I have no interest in discussing my best friend's- though it has been only like, a month, tops- that they've actually been dating- love-life with his family," she explained and took a sip. She knew that Percy wouldn't have appreciated if she talked about him anyways.

The boys made different looks of disappointment and annoyance. However Charlie was still watching her curiously, and Dakota couldn't help but notice that George was watching Charlie, watching her, curiously.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me?" Dakota turned her head toward Charlie and took a sip of her coffee. She knew she was lucky that she hadn't actually had that much to drink the night before because she still remembered finding out he was a dragon trainer.

Now that she had a good look at him, it was hard to be surprised that he worked with fire-breathers. She had worked in the Magical Creatures office for three years, and before that she had interned for the offices and spent nearly all of her time with the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Ilvermoney, so she knew magical burn-scars when she saw them. His arms, which she couldn't help but ogle due to the hard muscles that lined them, were covered in them.

"How long have you and my brother been best friends?" Charlie asked her with a straight face, ignoring her question entirely. His voice was that of authority, yet almost calming, much like Percy's was when he wanted information.

Dakota narrowed her eyes at the man. Charlie," she leaned forward on the table and set the mug down in front of her, cupping the warmth of the ceramic with her hands. "right?"

Charlie nodded, and his smirk faded slightly at her curious expression.

"Eleven months," she answered.

Charlie's face remained the same. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-one, nearly twenty-two. How old are you?"

Charlie paused before answering but seemed to have realized that she wasn't the kind of person to give anything without receiving. If he wanted to play the question game, then she would as well.

"Almost twenty-six. You're American," he stated simply. "Did you attend Ilvermoney?"

"Yes, did you attend Hogwarts?"

"Yes, what house were you in?"

Dakota narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he actually knew about the houses in Ilvermorny. She had read A History of Hogwarts only after she met Percy and was curious about the way the school ran.

"You seem rather smart," she tilted her head. "I'll let you guess."

"Horned Serpent?"

Dakota nodded at him. He glanced to her shoulder, then back to her eyes again.

"Wait, you got a tattoo of your house?" Ron spoke suddenly.

Dakota held in the growl of frustration she desperately wanted to let out. People had no idea how important to her the creatures truly were, and how connected to them she really was.

During her second year at Ilvermoney, when she'd come across the wand that would forever replace the mediocre one she'd bought from a second-hand wand shop, she'd realize that she was destined to one day find a horned serpent for herself. Maybe even speak to it.

"I got a tattoo of a brilliant creature that I admire greatly, actually," she retorted, forcing her voice to remain even.

Charlie shot his brother a glare, and oddly enough, it made her wonder how deeply rooted his love for dragons and magical creatures were. If it was severe, why was he sitting at home instead of in the field? Or perhaps he was only home temporarily, like the others?

"The house of the mind; scholars, if I'm not mistaken?" Charlie pondered.

"Yes. What house were you at Hogwarts?" She already knew the answer, as Percy had mentioned her entire family was in the same house but wanted to keep the question-flow going.

This time Charlie finally reacted, smiling and glancing to his brothers. She turned to see that they were all listening to their twenty-question game with interest.

"Gryffindor of course," Charlie shrugged. His brothers nodded and smiled. "The house of the brave and chivalrous."

"We are all Gryffindor," Harry explained lightly.

"It's the best house," a dark-skinned man with thick black hair exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm Lee, by the way. Georgie's best friend and favorite employee. Anyhoo, back to this." He nodded back to Charlie.

Dakota made a note to ask what he meant by his employee, as she didn't actually know what the others did for a living, save for Ron, who she knew was training to be an Auror. When she turned back to Charlie, she found his face was back to how it was before. And oddly enough, she felt herself wanting him to smile again.

"When you lived in Romania, did you ever meet a Vampire?" she teased. Anyone who knew anything about Vampires knew he wouldn't be sitting in front of them if he had.

Charlie snorted, and Dakota wondered if he was the kind of person who was interested in one magical creature, or all magical creatures.

"When you lived in the New World, did you ever meet a Pukwudgie?"

"The New World?" Dakota laughed. "What is this, the 1600s? And yes, I have, they provide security to the school. Though they rarely show themselves to students that are not of the mind or of the heart. They like their privacy."

"Hmm," Charlie narrowed his eyes. "You worked for Percy, but, what do you do exactly for the CMC?" he asked, once again, his face not changing in emotion as he spoke.

Dakota could tell he was doing it on purpose, judging her reaction. She did the same thing to people, reading their body language and how they reacted to her lack of a reaction; you could learn a lot about people when they are uncomfortable. She observed him carefully, clenching her jaw and forcing herself to keep his gaze. His eyes were a bright sort of blue, and though his hair had tints of red, it was also brown, much darker than the rest of his family. He was also one of the most attractive men she'd seen in years, and that was saying something considering her closeness with Anton and Quin made it, so she was constantly around Quidditch players.

"Well?" he urged.

She scowled at his rushing before taking a sip from her cup

"Right now, I work for the Beast Division specializing in the investigations of beast-mistreatment under the sub-division of the DRCMC -that, may I mention is NOT a part of the of the CDDC, which consists a bunch of hypocritical and judgmental pieces of shit I have ever come across - but I'm also on the North American Office of Misinformation's crisis-employment team and currently seeking a license to organize a research project for the International Confederation specializing in XXXX and XXXXX-classified endangered species."

The sentence came out quickly, and as she had intended, and left little room for questioning because it was so specific. She had felt the need to point out that she had no part in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, hoping that the man in front of her would agree was the worst part of the organization.

"Are you a Magizoologist or a Dragonologist?" she asked him immediately following her explanation.

Charlie stared at her for a moment before answering, but unfortunately, she couldn't tell if it was a good sort of pause or a bad one.

"Dragonologist, but I am nearly done with my accreditation to be a Magizoologist so that I can work close to home until I'm fully healed from my injuries."

Dakota couldn't help but smile at him. She wished to specialize in endangered species internationally, but many witches and wizards who worked with magical creatures, whether it be beasts or spirits, specialized in specific creatures, and never sought to expand their knowledge to other creatures. Also, him having an injury explained what she'd been wondering about him being home.

"What dragons do you work with at the Romanian sanctuary?"

"All of them, but I'd be lying if I didn't favor the Norwegian Ridgebacks and Romanian Longhorns. I am one of the few trainers allowed to work with the only Ukrainian Ironbelly in captivity. She's beautiful," Charlie answered, a smile on his face. "We were trying to find a male, but the one rumored to be near the red sea disappeared."

"I've never seen a dragon in person, but I have studied Antipodean Opaleyes extensively. They are quite fascinating." She explained.

Charlie's smile grew, and Dakota realized that the others had stopped listening to the two of them and moved on to other conversations, though she didn't know for how long.

"They are fascinating; it's unfortunate that they are extinct. I have always wondered how wonderful it would be to work with them," Charlie explained, his smile faltering as he placed his hands on the table in front of him.

Dakota felt a strange feeling in her skin, a burning, a want, no, a need, to reach across the table and grab his hands. Did he truly believe they were extinct?

"But they aren't extinct," she explained, shaking her head exuberantly. She chose to ignore the look of interest and judgment that crossed his face. "There is no proof of them being extinct."

"The lack of proof of their existence is proof of them being extinct."

"The ministry has been covering up the existence of magical creatures for thousands of years!" Dakota explained, forcing herself not to raise her voice.

"From muggles, not wizards – particularly those in specialized fields," Charlie shook his head, a smug grin covering his features. "If Opaleyes were still out there then we would be searching for them, just as we are with all of the others. It's the same with horned serpents, which you said last night weren't extinct."

"I have a fossil of an Opaleye's actual eye that a muggle historian- one married to a witch of course- dated to be from around 150 years ago. Aside from that being enough proof for me on top of what I just explained to you, there are so many other reasons to believe that they aren't actually extinct. I mean, are you really telling me, that a creature with a life expectancy of hundreds upon hundreds of years, and that is closely related to two other species of dragons that are capable of invisibility that was believed to have been extinct a hundred years ago, don't exist solely because we haven't seen them?" she asked him. "That's absurd."

"I suppose that so far, I have only cared for dragons I know exist rather than searching for something that doesn't," Charlie shrugged, though his eyes were light and his smile had grown. "I have never extensively researched extinct species of dragons. Also, there are actually three species of dragons capable of invisibility, not just two."

Dakota stared at him, wondering if he had more to say.

"So, you're trying to assemble a project for endangered species? At the age of twenty-one? That is nearly impossible," Charlie leaned forward while he spoke.

"Not if I have two XXXXX specialized trainers," she raised her hands in quotations, "in charge.' I already have one; now I need another," she explained.

"Is that why you asked me if I was a Magizoologist?" Charlie smirked and leaned forward more. "Were you going to ask me to join your little task-force, or did you have other reasons?"

Dakota continued to stare at him. Was he flirting with her?

"If you had other reasons," Charlie tilted his head as she had only moments earlier. "You only have to ask. No need to pretend-"

"My little-task force? Are you fucking kidding me?" she snapped, and heads turned in their direction. She turned her head when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

What wonderful timing, her best friend had.

She pushed Percy's hand off her and leaned forward on the table, but Percy pulled her back again.

"Kota he's only teasing you," Percy pushed her over into the empty chair so that he was sitting across from Charlie. He took a sip of her coffee, made a face because it was cold and pushed the nearly empty cup toward her.

"My career-choice isn't a fucking joke," she hissed at Percy.

"He doesn't think that, right Charlie?" Percy nodded to his brother and snapped for George to fill the empty cup.

"Clearly, he does!" Dakota reached forward and grabbed the coffee cup before Percy could reach for it and take another sip of the last bits of the cold, dark liquid. She glanced back to Charlie's smug face and scowled. How did he even have the right to pass judgment on her when he was only in his late twenties? He was just like her supervisors, save for Percy – although it had taken months for him to come around to her ideas – assuming that her belief in the importance of examining "extinct" creatures far-fetched.

"He's just like the rest of them," Dakota explained bitterly. "Calls himself a dragon-tamer and a Magizoologist yet not willing to consider that muggle-cryptozoology deserves to have a place in our world too."

"That is not true at all," Charlie sat straighter as he spoke, looking as offended as Dakota knew she probably did. "I've just spent my career caring for creatures in front of me rather than researching ones that aren't, and likely never will be. And don't bring up dragons again because they were never believed extinct in our world, save for Opaleyes, just endangered, which they are."

Percy muttered under his breath and yawned.

"Oh, bullshit! And, just so we are clear," Dakota glared at him and raised a hand as she spoke. "You believe that Opaleyes and Horned Serpents are extinct because of the lack of proof of their existence? Because if so that is total bull! It's one thing to believe that Graphorn's don't exist because Mountain Trolls choose to hide their existence from other magical creatures and beings – which they do, but next, you're going to tell me that woolly-mammoths are-"

"Okay," Percy interrupted and stood, pulling Dakota with him. "That's about enough of that. I need to speak to you anyways."

"About what?" Dakota watched him frown and narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Percy shook his head, but she could still tell that he was upset about something. She sighed, knowing that he and Kayla likely got into another argument, which would explain the silencing charm in his bedroom.

"It's about next week," he nodded to the door.

Next week? Oh! Dakota perked up in her seat, suddenly excited rather than annoyed with the man in front of her. The Quidditch World Cup was in America next week.

Percy's youngest sibling, Ginevra Weasley, who had at one point played for the Holyhead Harpies but was now a backup player for the Moldovian team, would be on the bench. The Moldovians were playing against the American team, in the very year that it was taking place in America. Since Quin played for the American team, Dakota planned to attend, as did Anton who played for the Sweet-Water Allstars.

Percy had told her last week that the family had been scrambling for tickets because the team only provided housing and tickets to four from each family. Last she had heard, most of them had ended up deciding that only Harry and Ron would be going for free with their parents because they not only could the rest not afford to go, despite some offering to pitch in, but they couldn't afford a place to stay either.

Dakota's brother and their best friend, who had lived with them the last two years at Ilvermoney as well, had gotten her extra tickets for their family. And, her mother, or, adopted mother, had agreed to let the entire family stay at the house.

Though it wasn't that hard to convince them considering her and her brother paid for the house themselves, and it was large enough to house fosters like mom wanted, starting the next year. She and Quin were proof enough Anton's mother's love for strays.

Dakota ignored the glances back to Weasley children and their friend as mother and father as they walked into the room. Clearly, Percy's life was too entertaining for them not to focus their attention on. Strange. Percy had told Dakota that he believed his family thought rather lowly of him.

"Whatever, if she doesn't want to go then don't make her, she hates it anyways," Dakota shrugged. Kayla hated Quidditch and wanted to go to Asia with her sister and their cousin instead, despite Percy making it quite clear it was important to him that she attend and meet his youngest sister, who wouldn't be at their home this weekend. "Have you told them yet?" she took a sip of her coffee as she turned back around and scooted on the chair so he could sit by her.

"Just Ginny when I wrote her," he sat on the edge of the seat. "I thought we'd all tell them today."

"Tell us what?" Ron said between a mouthful of food. His mother turned around and tapped him on the back of the head.

"That you're all going to the World-Cup with us," she said nonchalantly.

All of the boys at the table sat up abruptly, and Percy's parents stared at her with wide eyes.

"Before you bring up the costs; my brother and his best friend scored my extra tickets, and after speaking to my mom, who works for a nonprofit organization with the ministry and took time off, you'll be staying with us as well," she explained quickly. "It's really not a big deal. She loves company. God forbid the three of us haven't had a million children by now."

"Not a big deal?" Lee bellowed. "I am so jealous, that's bloody awesome!"

"I'm sorry, I only knew of the family members or else I would have gotten you a ticket as well," Dakota told him and cracked her neck. And she would have. She was a giver, likely because Anton's mother had been so giving toward her growing up. "I could try to see if I could score you a ticket?" Or they could try to sneak him in, though she thought bringing that up later would be best, once they knew for sure.

"I'm confused," Charlie said out loud. "I remember you," he nodded toward Percy, "saying that you," he nodded toward Dakota, "are a muggle-born, so how does your mother work for the ministry? Very few muggles do."

Dakota felt her face redden at that. She had assumed that Percy had told them a bit more, though maybe like she had kept information about his relationship, he thought it best to let her be the judge of how much everyone should know about her. That was both kind of him and also a bit annoying considering she hated questions like this.

"I'm, sort of adopted," she shrugged and stood from her seat and turned to her best friend. "Let's talk- also where can I shower? I feel gross."

Percy sighed and stood with her. "Nothing to talk about, because you're right, and I don't want to hear you say it. Follow me."

Dakota narrowed her eyes at his back. What was Kayla's deal? She really couldn't go with them if it made him happy? I mean, sure, she wanted to go shopping or whatever, but wasn't that how relationships were supposed to work? They were supposed to compromise.

She shrugged to herself and followed Percy out the door as the crowd behind her began speaking excitedly among herself. Before leaving the room, she glanced behind her to see that, unsurprisingly Charlie was staring at her tattoos again. He raised an eyebrow then winked at her before she turned back around and left, knowing she was blushing. This was going to be a hell of a week.


End file.
